Some Say It's Lunacy
by DrunkOnJerichohol
Summary: Stephanie is in possession of a rare gift, yet some would say it's one of the worst curses known to mankind. Life presents more than enough challenges without having insight into the future before it happens. Rather than keeping her safe, her glimpses into events which haven't yet arisen leave her emotionally distraught and fighting to hold onto life before it slips from her grasp.
1. Premonitions

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any and all original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

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_Stephanie guided the steering wheel with a jolly smile plastered to her face, the cool Florida air seeping in through the partially rolled down window and fluttering through her hair with great ease. Nothing in Connecticut compared to the balmy spring days in Tampa, and it made her all the more grateful Chris had convinced her to move there after they had gotten married. The height advantage her diesel truck offered made her feel on top of the world as she sped down the road. Some of her friends, and even Chris on occasion, teased her about it being a man's vehicle, but trucks had always been her transportation mode of choice. Traveling down the fairly deserted back road that led to her house offered a freeing sensation she wasn't always able to experience while at home with a husband and two children, so she soaked it in for all it was worth. _

_'Stephanie, slow down.'_

_The emergence of the anonymous, commanding voice had all the startling power of a thunder clap, and Stephanie's eyes left the road for a few seconds as she searched for the mystery speaker. There was no one in the truck besides her, but no more than half a minute later, it came again. _

_'Stephanie, slow down.'_

_It became a mantra, as the phrase was spoken to her repeatedly throughout the course of the next minute. Wanting to return home to Chris and escape the terror being thrust upon her, she stepped on the pedal with added pressure and heard the roar of the engine as it lurched forward to reach her desired speed. Breathing in calmly through her nose and releasing it from her mouth, Stephanie sighed in relief as she spied the road leading to her home coming into view. She could almost feel Chris's arms wrapped around her when she rushed through the door to greet him. Surely he would have some sort of explanation as to the voices she was hearing. _

_But in a split second, her life was turned upside down. _

_The first indication of a problem was a tiny, red ball rolling into her path several yards away, and her gut instinct told her to obey the voice and hit the brake, but it was too late. A flash of color blurred across the road as the child, wearing a bumblebee-yellow sweatshirt with black track pants, ran after his prized toy. Her truck fell into a lengthy skid for what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a few seconds, as she slammed on the break. The last image she made out before impact was the horrified grimace of the boy, still in the process of reaching for his ball, as her vehicle continued to bear down on him. _

_The harsh thud of his body against the grill of her truck was the last sound she heard before she was thrown forward and slammed her mouth against the steering wheel, a flow of coppery blood trailing down her chin at once. _

_The voice was back again, but this time, it issued a chastising remark instead of a warning to be heeded. _

_'Stephanie, you should have slowed down.'_

"No!" she screamed, shooting straight up in bed. Her eyes darted desperately around the darkened room for any source of light, and she found it in the form of one of the nightlights she had plugged into the hallway outlet for her children. Being as young as they were, her son and daughter were still afraid of the dark, so she often found a trail of places to plug in small lights to lead the way, should they have to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Chris's hand slipped underneath their sheets and trailed from her midsection right down to her thigh as he shifted on his side to face her and rubbed a gentle circle against her leg.

"Another bad dream, angel?" he whispered. His warm breath carried over her arm and sent a pleasureful shiver through her, followed by a second tremor when he leaned in and planted a kiss on her sweat-glazed skin.

"I think it was another premonition."

"Oh, one of _those_?" Chris asked.

To anyone listening in, they may have taken his words for sarcasm, but his response was anything but. Stephanie had a unique gift - - one that not only Chris, but her entire family, was aware of and was taking steps to eradicate. From the time she was a little girl, events played out in her dreams as they were set to happen in real life, but there was a small catch. The people affected by the occurrences during her sleep cycle never matched up with the person affected in real life. It was something of a gift to be able to know about something negative before it was set to happen, but not when she didn't have the capabilities to warn the correct person.

For instance, during the summer of 1987, when Stephanie was 11 and Shane was 17, she experienced a foreshadowing dream in which Shane would be involved in a terrible car accident. The same nightmare played out for her three nights in a row in great detail, from the crunching of metal when his car spun out of control down the embankment to the burning smell of rancid, black smoke trailing into the lit sky. Knowing she couldn't keep that kind of information a secret, Stephanie had relayed everything she saw to her parents and Shane, warning him to drive carefully on his way to and from school and work. It was because of the accuracy with which Stephanie had predicted past events that Vince and Shane heeded her warnings with great solemnity.

The night before the accident, all visions of it had ceased, but she knew it was coming, because an ominous feeling of foreboding hung over her the entire day. When Stephanie combed her hair before school that morning, she felt it. As she jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen to pick up the bagged lunch Linda had left on the counter for her, she felt it. When the school day got underway and she was called to the office only a little over an hour into class, she felt it again and knew she wasn't going to be receiving good news.

The patter of her shoes created a soft echo in the empty hallway, and when Stephanie rounded the corner and peered through the glass windows of her school's front office to find her mother dabbing at her eyes, she knew it had come true. Everything she had witnessed in the weeks leading up to the incident were the absolute truth, and it angered her. She was furious with her parents for not keeping Shane home when she urged them too and, as the little spitfire she was, Stephanie stomped to the office door and pulled it open. She was fully prepared to give her mother the best tongue-lashing a fifth-grader could muster, but Linda's words beat her to the punch and nearly knocked the wind out of her.

The accident had happened just as she predicted, only it wasn't Shane who was at the local hospital in critical condition - - it was Rodney, one of his friends since childhood.

From that point forward, Stephanie recognized her gift but acknowledged it was semi-faulty when it came to specificity.

"I thought I was done having them, at least for a while, but they're back," Stephanie announced as she pushed the covers off her body and kicked one leg over the bed, followed closely by the other. She pushed off the mattress with her fist to guide herself up and picked her cotton robe up from the chest at the end of their bed.

"Do you want me to get up with you?" Chris asked. The easy answer would have been yes, but Stephanie was hesitant to jerk him around in the middle of the night. It couldn't have been easy to deal with all her issues, yet he had known about every single one of them before he married her and welcomed it into his personal load, so a part of her felt she should accept that he was in it for the long haul. He wouldn't have entered a life with her and created two children if he didn't feel that way.

"I'd like that, yeah."

She remained in one spot as she heard the bed shift under Chris's weight and the soft thud when he placed his feet on the ground. When she started out of the room, he fell into step behind her, pausing to peek in on their children before shuffling down the stairs behind Stephanie. The basic drill had been the same forever, and Chris knew it well. Stephanie could never get back to sleep from a bad dream without going down to the kitchen and getting herself a glass of warm milk with cinnamon and ginger. It was the drink Linda made her as a child when she woke up from a bad dream, and she had carried it with her into adulthood.

While she busied herself with locating a pot in the lower set of cabinets, Chris trudged to the refrigerator and opened the door, simultaneously yawning and scratching his bare chest as he searched inside for some sort of snack. It wasn't great for his diet to eat at 3:00 AM and proceed to go to bed with all that food in his stomach and no way to work it off, but it wasn't an every-night occasion, so he allowed himself a dietary cheat every so often. His eyes settled on a sealed container of grilled chicken strips, and Chris pulled that out, right along with a bag of flour tortillas and shredded cheese. After setting the items out on the counter, he went back for some additional items in the vegetation compartment of the refrigerator.

"What are you making?" Stephanie asked, having caught sight of the food on the counter. The clicking sound of the gas aisle sounded before it roared to life, as Stephanie turned the flame on and reduced it to a reasonable heat before placing the pot atop it.

"Just some chicken soft tacos. Do you want a couple?"

"I don't know about a _couple_, but one would be good," she replied before coming up behind him. "Hand me the milk, honey?"

"Yep, here you go," Chris pulled the gallon of milk from the middle shelf and handed it off to Stephanie, but not without receiving a kiss on the cheek in her show of appreciation. While she busied herself with warming the milk, Chris pulled a knife from the wooden block on the counter to dice tomatoes and shred the lettuce head. "Are you gonna leave me hanging or tell me what your dream was about?"

"I killed a kid."

"You_ killed_ someone?"

"Yep, but it was on accident. I was driving down Pike Road, you know the back way we take sometimes," she reiterated as Chris nodded his understanding, "and this kid darted out in front of my truck. The creepy part was I heard a voice in the background even though I was in the truck alone. It kept telling me to slow down, and I ignored it at first, but when I finally did what they said, it was too late. This little boy ran out to get his toy and I hit him. It was so real, I mean, I felt the impact and everything."

"That's awful. I'm really sorry you had to see that."

"Me too, but now I feel like there's a bigger problem because I'm going to be on edge waiting for it to come true. Whenever I dream something like that it always comes to fruition, and then there's the issue of whether or not it'll actually happen to me or if it'll be somebody else like it usually is."

"Oh, I didn't even think of that," Chris turned to find her stirring cinnamon into her drink over low heat. "You don't think it will be _me_ driving the truck, do you?"

"Gosh, I hope not," Stephanie cringed. "I can't say for sure, but make sure you're going at a reasonable speed if you take Pike Road anytime soon. Better yet, you might want to steer clear of it altogether for a while, just in case."

"You can't play with fate like that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying whatever's meant to happen is going to happen. It doesn't matter how many precautions you or I take, because if there's some kid I'm supposed to hit for whatever reason, I'm not going to be able to avoid it. I don't think life works that way," Chris explained as he transferred some chicken into a bowl and placed it in the microwave. As he hunched over and squinted to view and tap the appropriate heat settings, Stephanie piped up again.

"I've never tried to interfere before, but that's mostly because I don't know who the premonition is actually meant for. Like, right now, even if I wanted to tell someone to be careful while driving so they don't hit a kid, I wouldn't even know who to start with. I have no clue who this thing is actually going to happen to, but it never seems to be whoever it appears."

"Your premonitions really are a gift _and_ a curse, huh?"

"That's pretty much how I see it."

The food only took around another five minutes to wrap up, and Stephanie removed her milk from the stove just as Chris was setting their plates down on the table. After transferring her warm concoction to a glass, she took her place at the table and pinched the edge of her plate in between her index finger and thumb, sliding it closer to her. Foregoing the milk to allow it time to cool, Stephanie spied the steam rising from the glass as she picked up her chicken taco and took a bite, sighing her satisfaction. "Mmm, it's so good, hon," she spoke around her bite.

"Thanks, I'm glad. I guess I'm pretty good at throwing a snack together, even when I'm still half-asleep."

She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the soft scrape of slippers scooting across the kitchen floor and turned to find Brooks, their six-year-old son, rubbing his eyes and squinting around his little fists at them. Stephanie reached across the table for a napkin to wipe any taco residue away from her mouth that might have settled there and extended her arms for Brooks. "Hi, baby, what are you doing up at this hour?"

A sleepy stumble carried him to Stephanie's awaiting embrace as he replied, with a slight lisp due to a missing front tooth, "I was sleepin' and I heard talking, so I went to get you and to get Daddy, but nobody was in the bed, so I came down here."

"I'm sorry we woke you up," Stephanie ran a hand over his golden blond hair and pulled him close as they shared a hug. "Daddy and I came down here for a snack because I couldn't sleep, that's all."

"I just wanted to find you," Brooks pulled away from her with a silly grin before combusting in a fit of laughter, one which was apparently quite contagious, since Chris and Stephanie joined right in with him. Brooks slipped around her and went to Chris next, where he was wrapped in a bear hug and had his ear pretend-bitten off.

"Is your sister still asleep, bud?" Chris checked.

"I think so," Brooks shrugged before spying the food on their plates. He licked his lips and leaned in towards the aroma but shied away from asking if he could have a bite. It was common knowledge to Brooks that his parents didn't allow him to eat after hours, but he sure wished they would make an exception, because the spread displayed in front of him looked delectable. Avoiding the direct approach, he went with hint-dropping instead. "Mmm, what's that, Dad?"

"It's a chicken taco," Chris grinned. He didn't mind letting Brooks have a bite but watching him skirt around the actual question instead of just asking for what he wanted amused Chris to no end, so he allowed it to continue for a while. Stephanie must have had the same idea, because she tapped his leg underneath the table and chuckled under her breath.

"Mmm, chicken taco..." Brooks dropped his elbows onto the table and nestled his fists underneath his chin as he stared at the plate until Chris broke and couldn't take it anymore. He tossed his head back and succumbed to a hearty laugh before picking the taco up and holding it to Brooks' mouth.

"Take a bite, maybe even two, but then you've gotta go back to bed."

While Brooks was in the middle of his first bite, a shrill, panicked voice called out from the next room, "I want Mommy!"

"It's okay, I'm right here, baby," Stephanie hurried from her seat and made it to the bottom of the stairs just in time to find her young daughter looking terrified. Having been left upstairs all by herself, it made perfect sense that a four-year-old would have been startled when she woke up to find nobody around. She occasionally shared a room with Brooks on nights when she was extra spooked about being by herself, and that night, she had fallen asleep in the bed right across from him, so when she awoke and found him gone, it sent her into a tailspin. "Come here, my little munchkin," Stephanie scooped Molly up in her arms and carried her into the kitchen, resuming her spot in the chair next to Chris.

"We'd better hurry and get back to bed, Steph," Chris told her as he allowed Brooks another bite of his food. "I don't want this to turn into a whole family affair and stretch on for too long. If it were the weekend I wouldn't care, but they've got school tomorrow."

"I don't got school, Daddy," Molly mumbled against Stephanie's shoulder as they latched onto one another, Molly with her arms secured around her mother's neck while Stephanie rocked her softly. Brooks tended to take after his father in the looks department, whereas Molly was a carbon copy of her mother. They shared the same stunning eye color and shade of hair, and when a picture of Stephanie as a child was placed beside one of Molly, they appeared almost identical. The same could be said for Chris and Brooks, though.

"You do too, you've got preschool," Chris poked her in the side and she jumped in surprise before giggling at her daddy sticking his tongue out at her. Molly reached for him, and Chris grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.

The single greatest thing about spending time with his kids was how easily they made him forget all the bad things. That wasn't to say he had many things in life worth complaining about, but his children were the constant bright spot in his day, and Chris didn't know what he would do without them or Stephanie. Each of their children had been planned, and he could easily admit they were the best plans he had ever laid. His family showed him what truly mattered in life, and for that, he would always love them more than any single word could ever express.

"All right," Stephanie interrupted, "I think Daddy wants us all to get back to bed, so let's start heading back upstairs."

Before she got the chance to move, Chris brought his hand down gently on her arm and gave a slight shake of the head. As he gazed around the table at the three people he treasured most, a deep love blazed in his heart that he wasn't ready to say goodbye to for the night, so he held on a little longer. "Actually, Steph, I jumped the gun on that. Let's stay up with them for a little while."

Her response arrived with smile of tranquility.

"I'm so glad you changed your mind."


	2. A Tragedy to Those Who Feel

Her fingertips grazed his lower back as his erratic breathing tickled her neck with each released puff. Stephanie closed her eyes and a smile extended across her face as she relished in the lingering bliss Chris administered in bountiful doses. With the kids away at school, Chris and Stephanie took advantage of the rare alone time and soaked in each second of their private trysts, like a sponge to a water-filled basin. Chris wasn't home as often as Stephanie would have preferred, so whenever she was presented a moment alone with him, it stirred her to action and encouraged her to savor the minutes, which were constantly running out.

Chris raised his head to shift to a more accommodating position, and his nude body peeled away from Stephanie's - - a combination of the warmth and sheen of their skin having adhered them to one another following their coitus. He intended to lie back down but caught Stephanie's tender gaze and couldn't break away from it. Her growing smile sent a ripple of elation through his heart, chiefly because he found pleasure in being the one responsible for her joy. Bucking his bottom half against her as a toying mechanism, Stephanie let out a carnal moan while he used only the assistance of his manhood to stroke her arousal to attention and simultaneously reward her neck a series of delicate bites.

As his movements ceased, Stephanie squinted upward and noted the sunlight struggling to permeate the barrier their closed curtains maintained, realizing it was just like her and Chris to close themselves off from the world. Only a couple as private as them would have drawn curtains at two in the afternoon, but with Chris gaining the popularity he was with his band, they had turned, somewhat, into hermits who craved generous amounts of confidentiality. The curtains acted as an unspoken statement they were trying to get across to the world that their life belonged to themselves and their children - - nobody else. When Chris pulled away from her neck to come back up for air, Stephanie clutched his arousal-flushed cheeks in her hands.

"I wish we could do this all the time."

"Me too. I miss you like crazy when I'm gone—you _and_ the kids," Chris replied. Stephanie jutted her bottom lip out and pretended to sob over his words, at which Chris raised an eyebrow and snickered. "Aww, my poor baby."

"On a serious note, though, we really miss you whenever you're not here," she admitted.

"I know you do, but all you have to remember is that I'll always be back for you. I love my kiddos, and I love you."

"I love you too."

Chris admired his view of Stephanie and ran the tip of his index finger down the bridge of her nose. Stephanie's eyes clamped shut involuntarily as she savored the sensation, and Chris felt the intensity of his love for her far surpassing his expectations. He experienced a powerful shift in his level of significance when he was near Stephanie, as if he was the only person in her entire world, even just for that split second. A single touch from him was enough to set her senses on fire, and harboring that type of power afforded Chris a real opportunity to step up and be a hero in her life. Much like with Brooks and Molly, his inclination was to shut out all negativity and continue to bring the same smile to her face that was gracing her features at that very moment.

His finger traveled from her nose down to her lips, which Chris began brushing his thumb over. "I want to be the one to make you smile like this all the time. Don't ever lose that beautiful smile."

"I won't."

"You'd better not, or else you'll have to answer to me," he growled, pretending to be menacing.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want _that_," she laughed and slipped her hands around his shoulders, dispensing an impromptu shoulder massage. Chris grunted his approval of her skilled movements and clamped his eyes shut as Stephanie worked her magic. She studied his face while he relaxed, noting he still appeared as young and lively as the day she first met him. Intuition told her they had many years to look forward to together, and she couldn't wait to share them with him. "Honey, have you ever thought about us having another baby?"

His hypnotic blue eyes snapped open right away, and Stephanie's hands slowed to a rest against his shoulders. "Another one?"

"Yeah, I'm just wondering if you've ever considered it."

"I feel pretty content with two kids, but I wouldn't be against having another if you really wanted one. Do you want another one a whole lot?"

"I think so," Stephanie pursed her lips in concentration. "Every time we have one, it brings me so much closer to you, and I love that feeling. That might sound a little selfish, but I don't _only_ want a baby because it makes us closer. I think I also miss having a tiny infant in my arms who needs me for everything, and Brooks and Molly are getting so big."

"Molly still needs you for a lot of stuff though, you've gotta admit. She's all about her mommy these days, not that I can say I blame her," Chris winked before leaning in to kiss her exposed chest. "I'm all about you too," he whispered against her skin.

"That's sweet," Stephanie grinned, running a hand over his messy hair. "I think I ruined your mohawk, babe."

"That's all right, my hair's always kinda messy," Chris shrugged as he reached up to ruffle it. "It's more of a fauxhawk thing I've got goin' on right now anyway. I can fix it later."

"I think it's adorable. We should start spiking Brooks' hair. He'd be so cute, walking around looking just like his handsome daddy."

"Well, Molly is cute when she walks around looking like you in your earrings and high heels, so I guess it would only be fitting."

"She does imitate me a lot, doesn't she?" Stephanie laughed, and her question was met with a spirited nod from Chris. "It's flattering to have a daughter who wants to be so much like me. I think I'll enjoy it while it lasts, since one day she'll be a teenager who can't stand the sight of me. We've gotta soak up our kids' attention now, while we've still got the chance."

"We can start by picking them up from school."

Chris and Stephanie had become masters of redressing at the last minute, and his words kick-started them into high gear. Whenever they had alone time, their clothing was usually the first to be shed, but they were great at throwing a mash of outfits together in a rush that made them look presentable, and this time was no exception. With a friendly reminder from Stephanie to avoid Pike Road at all costs, they ventured out to Molly's school first, idling at the curb with the other parents while they waited on their daughter to come rushing out of the school doors. A nagging worry of Stephanie's was that Molly would be trampled by all the other children when exiting the school, so she always made it a point to get out of the car and wait near the doors for her.

Making the extra effort allowed Stephanie to pick her daughter up and carry her the remainder of the way to car, while at the same time putting her outlandish, motherly frets to rest. The final bell sounded and she kicked at a nearby patch of grass out of boredom until the first trickling of children poured from the school doors. Stephanie smiled kindly as they passed, scanning the crowd until she spotted the familiar brown hair and blue eyes that were so reminiscent of her own. She cupped her mouth and called out because, even though she waited in the same spot each day, Molly was often too distracted by her friends to notice.

"Molly, over here!" Stephanie called to her, cupping her mouth with both hands. Molly's eyes widened as she turned to find her mommy standing there waving, and she paused only long enough to toss her arms around her friend and give her a parting hug before cutting through the crowd and dashing to Stephanie. Molly threw her arms around Stephanie's legs, and she laughed while lifting her up and kissing her cheek. "Hi, baby. Did you have fun at school today?"

"It was fun, and I painted pictures, but den I got dis on my shirt," she frowned and pointed at a purple smudge on her tank top.

"That's okay. They were probably just watercolors, so I'm sure it'll wash out fine. Did you miss me?" she asked while in the process of walking them back to their car. There was a monitor who made sure parents didn't sit too long in the pick-up lane, so Stephanie couldn't afford to keep Chris waiting.

"I missed you and Daddy whole bunches," Molly slipped her arms around Stephanie's neck, and she smiled when she felt her daughter fiddling with her ponytail as she carried her. The experiences she shared with Molly on a daily basis brought her straight back to her childhood, when she and Linda used to do the very same things. She held onto vivid memories of being carried by Linda and being so excited to see her after the school day was over. It was rewarding to see the tradition live on with a daughter of her own.

"We missed you too, you _and_ Brooks," Stephanie said. When they reached the car, she placed Molly down and gave a gentle tug against her Cinderella backpack to take it off of her before opening the door. As soon as she raised Molly into the vehicle, she tore to the center divider and leaned forward to give Chris a hug.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, lovebug. Give me a kiss," Chris tapped on his cheek, which was met with Molly's lips only seconds later before she plopped down in her seat. Stephanie made certain she was buckled securely before getting back into the passenger seat so Chris could pull away. "Were you a good girl in school today?"

"Uh-huh, but I gotta give you dis, my teacher said so," Molly responded before unzipping her backpack and producing a single sheet of paper.

Stephanie glanced at Chris, who was already sending her a look of concern. So seldom was anything sent home with their children that whenever it was, they couldn't help but think the worst. Stephanie grabbed the paper from Molly, saying a silent prayer that her daughter wasn't getting into any trouble or experiencing learning difficulties. She released a whooshing breath of relief upon finding it was a note inviting them to the parent/teacher conferences that would be held within the next couple of weeks.

"Wow, Molls, it looks like Daddy and I get to talk to your teacher. I can't wait to see how you've been doing in class," Stephanie gushed as she turned back to smile at her little girl.

"It's a conference thingy?" Chris asked.

"Yep, it's our baby's first parent/teacher conference, and I can't wait. I remember the days when you weren't even old enough to feed yourself, Molly, and now you're in school and we're having conferences about you. My baby girl is growing up so fast," Stephanie pouted as she faced forward in her seat before mumbling to herself, "so heartbreaking."

"She's got at least 14 more years with us, baby, and that's assuming she moves out right away. For all we know, she'll stick around for a while."

"I know, but it's still sad."

"We could always have another," Chris whispered back, reigniting their conversation from earlier that day, and she sent him an ecstatic grin as they continued along the road to grab Brooks.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," she responded.

Brooks' elementary school was only a few blocks away from where Molly attended preschool, and with Chris's expert maneuvering through crowded parking lots, they were able to break free from the pack and return home less than twenty minutes later. When they arrived, Paul and Trish were standing in the driveway waiting on their arrival, and it was the first time Stephanie remembered she had invited them over for dinner that evening. Not only were their guests about an hour earlier than she normally served the family's last meal of the day, but she hadn't even gotten started on the food yet. She blamed her forgetfulness on Chris, because it was so rare for her to have him to herself for half the day that she hadn't remembered any of her other responsibilities.

"Avie!" Molly squealed upon sight of the trio in front of their house.

Avie was her nickname for Paul and Trish's two-year-old daughter, Avalon. Aside from the children she played with at school, Avalon was one of Molly's best friends and they usually played well together, while occasionally fighting as if they were actual sisters. Paul and Trish were two of Chris and Stephanie's closest friends and, as such, had become a staple in their household. They owned two homes and split their time between Toronto and Nashua, and since they were so far away, they often flew down to sunny Florida to visit Chris and Stephanie and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

"Did I forget something?" Chris pulled hesitantly into the driveway and returned Paul and Trish's waves as he racked his brain to remember why they were there. It wasn't that he minded, however, he would have liked to have prepared for their arrival ahead of time. The house wasn't as clean as he preferred when having people over, but Paul and Trish hardly noticed those types of things, so he was most likely giving himself grief over nothing.

"No, _I_ did. Trish called and said she'd be down with Paul and Avalon for dinner this week, but I think it just slipped my mind. I don't even have a meal planned yet. I'm so sorry I didn't think to give you a heads up that they would be here."

"It'll be all right. I can go grab something from the store, or a restaurant, if we end up running short on time. It's no biggie, so don't get stressed, Steph," Chris reassured her as he reached across the seat to pat her leg just before shifting the car into park. He unlocked the doors and Stephanie stepped out and helped Brooks and Molly safely to the ground, following that by jogging up the driveway to greet her friends.

"Please don't think I'm horrible, but I totally forgot you were coming today," Stephanie admitted as she hugged Trish, who had handed the baby off to Paul. "I don't actually have dinner ready, but I can send Chris to the store to grab something for us, or if it's easier, I can order some take-out. Whatever you guys want is good."

"Take it easy, it's fine," Paul comforted the clearly frazzled Stephanie as he leaned in to kiss her cheek after she pulled out of Trish's embrace.

"Hi, Avalon. You get more beautiful each time I see you," Stephanie gushed, leaning in to press a gaggle of kisses to Avalon's chubby cheeks, which made her tilt her head back and laugh uproariously. Chris rounded up the group and slid his hand across the small of Stephanie's back before reaching out to slap hands with Paul in greeting. Stephanie playfully rolled her eyes at Trish when they shared their manly hug, and Chris kissed Trish's cheek before taking Avalon from Paul.

"Hey, kiddo. You're so big and pretty, I bet your dad's gonna have a helluva time keeping the boys away from you," Chris joked.

"It won't be hard once I pull out my shotgun," Paul laughed. Stephanie ushered everyone to the front door and requested the keys to her truck from Chris.

"Where are you going?" he inquired.

"To the store, I guess. I don't really have much to cook, so I figured I could grab something that would be quick to make," Stephanie replied.

"Hey, I could go get it," Trish offered. "I've been wanting an outing with Avie, and it'll give our men a chance to hang back and catch up with each other."

"Do you need me to come?" Stephanie questioned.

"No, it's okay. You're cooking, so the least I can do is help with getting the food, plus it'll be nice to get some fresh air, won't it, Avie?"

"Yeah, yeah," she repeated while nodding her head animatedly.

"I thought so," Trish laughed before tapping Paul's arm. "I need our car keys, sweetie."

"You're welcome to take my truck if you're more comfortable with it," Stephanie offered.

"Uh..." Trish hesitated as she glanced between the rental car she arrived in with Paul, and Stephanie's truck, which was still parked where they left it in the driveway. "I think your truck might be better, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Here you go," Stephanie handed her the keys. "Do you need me to come up with a list for what to buy?"

"No, I've got it covered. I'll get something that's both kid and adult friendly," she winked before heading for Stephanie's vehicle with Avalon in her arms. Without being prompted, Paul went to their rental and pulled out Avalon's car seat so he could assist Trish in hooking it up in the truck, and Chris used that opportunity to unlock the front door and usher the kids inside.

"Remember to bring your backpacks to your rooms instead of dropping them at the bottom of the stairs, or else Mommy will have a cow," Chris instructed Molly and Brooks as Stephanie sauntered up behind him.

"I heard that," she spoke lowly, pretending to be angry, though the smirk on her face gave her away.

"I can go play, Mommy?" Molly asked as she pointed at the stairs.

"That's fine, honey. Go play, but be careful and stay out of trouble," she said. Brooks and Molly both tore up the stairs after kicking their shoes off, prompting Stephanie to stand at the end of the staircase and call up to them, "No going into my office or Daddy's office!"

"Okay!" they called back down in tandem, and she chuckled softly before going to the window and peeking through the blinds just in time to see Trish pulling away with Avalon while Paul remained in the driveway waving at both of them.

She smiled at the sight, a grin that grew even wider when Chris's arms slipped around her waist from behind and he placed a delicate kiss upon the back of her neck. A laid-back day had instantly grown much busier, but neither of them minded in the end, because it was always a good thing to have friends around. Paul and Trish kept them going when times got rough, and through each of their marriages and having children of their own, they shared a bond that continued to grow with each passing year. Chris spun Stephanie around and led her to the couch, and just as they were sitting down, Paul was entering through the front door, which he closed behind himself as he shook his head and chuckled.

"What's funny?" Chris wondered.

"Nothing, just Trish."

"What about her?" Stephanie followed up. Paul took a seat in a chair across the room and placed a hand on each of his thighs, rolling his eyes and sighing.

"She's been so uptight this past week. For some reason, she's convinced something bad is going to happen, and I keep telling her it's just the stress from her yoga studio and taking care of Avalon, but she thinks it's something else," he explained as he ran a hand over his newly cut golden hair. "I don't know what the deal is, but I think she's just stressed out about everything. Dividing all of her time between Canada and New Hampshire has to be hard on her, so I've been thinking about offering to live primarily from our house in Toronto. That way she wouldn't have to feel so on edge all the time."

Stephanie had tuned out everything Paul said after he mentioned Trish's feelings of something bad being on the horizon, and she had to know more. The nightmare she experienced the night before rose to the forefront of her mind as a sinister feeling of foreboding washed over her. Perhaps the events of her dream were closer than she expected. "What did she say about something bad happening? What kind of thing?" Stephanie prodded.

"I don't know. She feels unsettled, and I can tell, but I don't know how to help. I think that's why she wanted to get out alone with Avalon, since it'll give her a chance to clear her head."

"Oh no..." Stephanie's eyes widened as she felt a familiar sense of panic creep up inside her when she thought back to her premonition. It couldn't be Trish whose accident she had witnessed in her dreams...or _could_ it? Her hand shot up to her mouth as she gaped in horror, "Oh no, oh no, oh no..." she repeated.

"Steph, what's the matter?" Chris spoke from somewhere behind her, but she couldn't focus enough to formulate an answer to his question.

Paul watched on with a flood of alarm and leaned forward in his seat, attempting to make sense of Stephanie's sudden outburst. As soon as she realized she hadn't instructed Trish to avoid Pike Road, Stephanie was on her feet and unbolting the locks on the front door before she threw it open and tore across the front yard. She was thankful her shoe choice happened to be appropriate for running and was down the driveway in record time as Chris followed behind her, but not before instructing Paul to stay with their children. Stephanie hadn't bothered looking back to see if Chris was there but could hear the slap of his sneakers reverberating against the cement as he raced to catch up to her.

Anyone who knew Stephanie could vouch for the fact that she wasn't a runner, but sensing immediate danger kicked her weaknesses into high gear until they evaporated altogether. Had anyone been watching her out their window, they would have sworn she was a cross-country star in the making, but Stephanie was nothing of the sort. A super-human type of strength she didn't know or understand had taken hold as she raced down the sidewalk and turned the corner onto Pike Road, but nothing could have prepared her for the horrific sight that met her several yards ahead. In the middle of the road, turned at an odd angle and backing up the flow of traffic, was Stephanie's truck, smoke escaping in large puffs from underneath the hood.

Her ponytail whipped behind her in the cool Florida air, and now Chris had matched her pace and was running beside her. After turning the corner, instead of trying to bring his wife to a stop like he planned to only seconds earlier, his eyes zeroed in on the same destination point as Stephanie, and he wanted nothing more than to reach Trish and Avalon to make sure they were okay. The only sound, aside from the huffing of their panicked breaths mingling as one, was the pounding of their feet against the pavement. Though she hoped for the best, Stephanie had steeled herself to be met with a reality she wasn't yet prepared to deal with. Something told her she wasn't going to like what she saw, but she went anyway - - carried on because there was no other option.

"Trish!" she called out for her as they neared. Some of the occupants of the halted vehicles in the opposing lane of traffic had already gotten out of their cars to offer assistance to Trish and Avalon, and the sight of their selfless assistance offered hope, but when Stephanie caught sight of the small, lifeless body wedged beneath the front wheel of her truck, every one of her body parts went limp.

_Bumblebee-yellow shirt. _

_Black track pants. _

_Red ball. _

"No!" Stephanie screamed, her words followed by a wretched sob as she crumbled to the ground in agony.

Another premonition had come true - - with disastrous results.


End file.
